Writing in a short post on their Facebook page and Twitter account, the announcement read: “Welcome back to Downton! We’re thrilled to announce that Downton Abbey is coming to the big screen. Film production begins this summer.” You can see it below.

Last year, Smith didn’t seem so keen on the idea of a ‘Downton Abbey’ movie, telling the crowd at the BFI and Radio Times Festival, “I just think it’s squeezing it dry, do you know what I mean? I don’t know what it could possibly be.”

She added that the show has since impacted her life in a negative way. “I led a perfectly normal life until Downton Abbey. I’m not kidding. I’d go to theatres, I’d go to galleries, things like that on my own. And now I can’t and that’s awful. The Fulham Road’s dodgy!”

Smith won an Emmy for her performance as Violet Crawley, the show’s formidable Dowager Countess. She won a total of four Emmys for her popular Downton role.

The Book Thief’s Brian Percival is on board to direct while Gareth Neame will produce. Speaking to the BBC Neame said, “Now, after getting many stars aligned, we are shortly to go into production.

“Julian’s script charms, thrills and entertains and in Brian Percival’s hands we aim to deliver everything that one would hope for as Downton comes to the big screen”.

Joanne Froggatt, who played maid Anna Bates, tweeted that she was “delighted” about the news.

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